RG’s Leinster And Bordeaux Secure Places In Bilbao Final

Leinster Rugby booked a ninth European Rugby Champions Cup final—their fourth in five seasons—but were pushed to the brink by a ferocious comeback from RC Toulon in Dublin.

Eager to avenge last year’s semi-final heartbreak, Leinster made a fast start, with Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier crossing early to seize control. Toulon stayed in touch through penalties and a try of their own, but Leinster appeared firmly in charge when Garry Ringrose scored after the break—even with two players in the sin bin—before Caelan Doris extended the lead to 16 points.

However, the three-time champions Toulon surged back in the final 15 minutes. Baptiste Serin sparked the comeback, and when Gaël Dréan crossed in the 75th minute, the deficit was cut to just four points.

Leinster held firm under late pressure, ultimately securing their place in the final in Bilbao—the same venue where they last lifted the trophy in 2018.

Meanwhile, Union Bordeaux Bègles have the chance to become back-to-back champions after booking their place in the final with a thrilling victory over Bath Rugby.

In a match that lived up to expectations at a sold-out Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bordeaux struck inside the opening minute through Mario Gazzotti, before Will Muir responded quickly for Bath.

Bordeaux led 24–12 at half-time, but Bath rallied after the restart, with a try from young centre Louie Hennessey bringing them within a single score.

A dramatic finish followed as Bordeaux powered ahead, with Ben Tameifuna crashing over off the bench, before Temo Matiu sealed the result with a try in the 76th minute.

Although Bordeaux had already secured their place in the final, Bath showed resilience to the end, with Tom Carr-Smith scoring in the 81st minute and Finn Russell adding the conversion with the final kick of the game to bring their campaign to a close.